tonight the growing fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe in ukraine. russia threatening to take a nuclear plant off-line in ukraine, posing a risk to all of europe. ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy warning the world is on the verge of nuclear disaster. it comes ashe u.s. announces a massive new military aid package for ukraine. our team in kyiv tonight. also this evening sentencing for one of the so-called isis beatr americans. the battle over the search at mar-a-lago. what the doj is saying

as trump ally push to release surveillance of the search. and mike pence today doubling down on defending the fbi. the emotional day in court. vanessa bryant, the wife of kobe bryant, breaking down on stand, describing her pain after first responders leaked photos of the helicopter crash that killed the nba legend and their daughter. >> reporter: after a summer of travel chaos, the department of transportation cracking down. our exclusive with secretary pete buttigieg, the ultimatum he's giving the airlines ahead of labor day. danger in the water. two shark attacks at the same beach on the same day. and uniting for ukraine. the music with a message inspiring america. >> announcer: this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt. good evening. we are reminded again tonight just how high the stakes are in the war in ukraine as focus turns to the state of the ukrainian nuclear power plant now in the hands of russian forces.

ukraine official making some pretty disturbing claims of what they say are russian intentions at the plant. that potentially risk a radiation spewing nuclear accident. one ukrainian energy expert calling it madness, absolute madness. the latest satellite images of the plant reveal no obvious signs of damage from fighting. the war shifting on multiple fronts tonight. ukrainian backed guerillas stepping up their attacks inside russian held regions and even inside russia itself. tonight with a new $775 million american military aid package soon on its way ukraine's president zelenskyy thanking president biden and tweeting ukraine will be free. megan fitzgerald has the latest now from ukraine. >> reporter: tonight fears of a nuclear catastrophe are intensifying. russia has been occupying the facility in ukraine's east

since the start of the war. now ukraine is warning russia may take the plant off the electrical grid, a precarious move energy experts say raises the risk of a nuclear accident, sending radioactive material across europe. >> reporter: the power comp the plant says the russians are already moving to shut it down, which would deny the country a key energy source. saying the russian military is looking for fuel to power generators, to keep the reactors cool. >> the most marjs status of reactor is when they move it from the operations to cooling mode. >> reporter: this all comes as the u.n. secretary-general is in ukraine meeting with president zelenskyy. >> any potential damage to zaporizhzhia is suicide. >> reporter: the u.n. chief calling on international inspectors to go inside the plant

immediately. echoed in a call today by the president of france to vladimir putin who says he's open to inspectors. but earlier today a russian official said the visit may not happen until september. president zelenskyy has repeatedly warned that may be too late. meanwhile there are new signs that ukraine is on the offensive. strikes hit russian controlled crimea twice in a week taking out military jets and destroying ammunition depots. a ukrainian government official confirmed to nbc news that pro-ukrainian guerilla fighters have been involved with the attack. >> megan joining us. as i mentioned at the top of the broadcast the u.s. approving another $775 million in military aid for ukraine. what are some of the details of what's in it? >> reporter: lester, the pentagon says that the package includes more ammunition for rocket systems, missiles, artillery and for the first time long endurance low flying jones.

lester? >> megan fitzgerald in kyiv, thank you. he was a member of the brutal isis cell known as the beatles. today he's sentenced to life in prison for his role in the killing of four american hostages in syria. they were journalists and two humanitarian workers. a deepening divide tonight between donald trump and former vice president mike pence over fbi agents who carried ought the search at mr. trump's florida home. kelly o'donnell now with the latest. >> reporter: tonight visiting the iowa state fair mike pence defended law enforcement amid an angry fallout over the mar-a-lago search. >> we can demand that they reveal why the search warrant was executed against the residence of a former president of the united states without demeaning the rank and file of men and women of the fbi. and i'm going to continue to be a voice for that. >> reporter: pence did not answer questions about criticism of the

fbi coming from former president trump who blasted these accusations tonight. the atrocities being perpetrated by the fbi and doj, they have no shame. they are destroying our country. mr. trump's allies have repeatedly dangled a possible video release to show what happened inside the estate during the search. a trump attorney says that should be made public. >> i would love for the country to see what i saw from those cameras. >> reporter: but today a department of justice official told me they urge those with access to video taken during the mar-a-lago search to use caution. if video is provided that it obscures the faces and identifying information of law enforcement personnel. lester? >> all right, kelly, thank you. emotional testimony by vanessa bryant, kobe bryant's widow, in her lawsuit against los angeles county. bryant says she suffered emotional distress after crash photos of her husband were taken and then shared personally

among first responders. here's miguel almaguer. >> reporter: braving the cameras on the eighth day of trial vanessa bryant stayed composed entering the courthouse. but today after taking the stand for the first time kobe bryant's widow broke down when asked about the circulation of crash site photos showing the charred remains of her husband and their 13-year-old daughter, gigi. i felt blind-sided, devastated, hurt and betrayed, said bryant, fighting through tears she continued. i live in fear every day it's seen on social media and having these images pop up. bryant and another family are suing los angeles county after first responders took or shared photos of the 2020 crash site for personal use. circulated on cellphones, testimony showed the pictures were shared at bars and even a banquet by firefighters and sheriff's deputies. i trusted them. i trusted them not to

do these things, said a sobbing bryant, saying after the photo leak i have two choices, to try and live my life or end it. >> we love and miss you, boo-boo and gigi. >> reporter: just days after this tearful memorial where bryant spoke of her loss, the l.a. sheriff said he ordered deputies to delete photos taken at the calabasas hill side. here at court the county defense team is arguing the pictures never became public and could not have caused vanessa bryant to suffer emotional distress. now a jury will soon decide if bryant was victimized by the very people who were called there to help. miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. now to an nbc news exclusive. after a summer of airline melt downs the transportation department is warning airlines to improve their customer service policies or the government will order changes to compensate passengers for delays or cancellations. here's tom costello.

>> reporter: after receiving billions in taxpayer support during the pandemic the nation's airlines are tonight under intense pressure. improve their customer service or the government could soon impose tough new passenger rights. transportation secretary pete buttigieg. so now you're kind of laying down the law for the airlines. they can either pony up on their own or you're going to enforce this for them. >> that's right. i'm giving them an opportunity right now. we can do more rule makings and even more enforcement. >> reporter: in a letter to airline ceos buttigieg writes the level of disruptions americans have experienced this summer is unacceptable. 23% of u.s. flights delayed an average of 52 minutes. contributing factors weather and air-traffic control problems, but the faa insists airlines get most of the blame for booking passengers on flights they didn't have the pilots for. now the d.o.t. wants airlines to provide

refunds if a domestic flight is changed or delayed more than three hours, hotel accommodations for overnight delays. and with confusing airline rules on refunds, on voucher policies the d.o.t. will rollout a new website labor day weekend posting each airline's policies. >> we want to make sure it's very clearly spelled out so that passengers know what they're getting when they buy a ticket. >> reporter: the airline industry insists carriers strive to provide the highest level of customer service and look forward to working with the d.o.t. to continue providing transparency for the traveling public. with labor day, thanksgiving and christmas travel ahead, mounting pressure to avoid a summer repeat. tom costello, nbc news, washington. it was a tough week for many of the nation's big retailers. a growing number of them sounding alarms as inflation has so many americans struggling to make ends meet and altering the way they shop. here's maggie vespa. >> reporter: with inflation's grip on american wallets holding strong new

numbers from a growing list of retail giants proves spending habits are shifting. what have you cut back on again? >> clothes, shoes, a lot of make-up. >> i was just like, okay, do i really need these -- you know, do the kids really these these sweets? >> reporter: department store khol's saying it will take a hit this year, blaming a drop in demand for clothes and nonessentials. this as target reported a staggering 90% drop in second quarter profits compared to a year ago. and best buy recently announced in-store job cuts nationwide after a summer sales slump. >> everything becomes about do i really need this. >> reporter: the retail red flags waving alongside new federal data showing between june and july spending remained stagnant, consumers putting savings from falling gas prices now down 21% since june toward essentials like food. >> everything here is store brand. >> reporter: one place americans aren't spending their extra savings car dealerships. and the reason, owners say look at all these empty spots.

how is your inventory looking right now compared to normal times? >> at about half. >> reporter: staff at chicago area continental toyota blame a drop in car sales on the chip shortage and other supply chain issues strangling production. some customers waiting eight to ten months on the cars they want. >> i've never seen anything like this. >> reporter: experts now increasingly optimistic that the fed's move to raise interest rates could mean inflation peaked earlier this summer. >> we are starting to see some relief in the inflation pressures, certainly for g reporter: the coinciding with back to school season. and the good news for families is that major retailers are rolling out big discounts to try and boost sales. >> maggie vespa in chicago tonight, thank you. in 60 seconds, two shark attacks on the same beach on the same day. and the desperate search for that 16-year-old girl missing for two weeks now in northern

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back now with not one but two shark attacks at south carolina's most popular beach. authorities say a grandmother was bitten while swimming with her grandson at myrtle beach on monday. that same day about a mile away a second swimmer was attacked. both victims survived. police say they can't tell if the attacks are related. also tonight the desperate search for a missing teen in california. after two weeks authorities haven't found a trace. now her family is turning to volunteer divers who have spotted clues others have missed in the past. here's erin mclaughlin. >> reporter: it's been 14 days since kylie rodney went missing following a late night party at a campground in truckee, california. >> i just want her to come back and be okay. >> reporter: her disappearance triggering a massive search, authorities scouring the surrounding area for any sign of the 16-year-old or her car and releasing

surveillance images of kylie in the hours before her disappearance. and yet authorities appear no closer to finding her. this week announcing they're scaling back the search. >> we've had over like 9,000 man hours into searching, which is pretty astronomical. our biggest problem is where do we go and how do we keep sustaining this? >> reporter: desperate for answers kylie's extended family reached out to a group of volunteer scuba diving sleuths to help. >> all of the agents, sheriffs and detectives i've spoken with are completely baffled. >> reporter: earlier this year nbc exclusively profiled a group adventures with purpose when they helped a family find their missing mom. specializing by cold cases of people and their vehicles gone missing under water, on saturday they'll start working with local authorities to search for kylie. >> almost everyone we find is in an area other agencies have already searched. >> reporter: what is it about your technology that sets you apart?

>> it's the ability to manipulate the way we do. >> reporter: tonight volunteer sleuths doing what they can to keep this case from going cold. erin mclaughlin, nbc news. there's more ahead tonight including our investigation into gun tracing. we look at the outdated system and how it's impacting solving crimes next. we've been married 53 years. we love to walk on the beach. i have two daughters and then two granddaughters. i noticed that memories were not there like they were when i was much younger. since taking prevagen, my memory has gotten better and it's like the puzzle pieces have all been [click] put together. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. i'm lindsey vonn, and ever since i retired from skiing, i've had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. you know, insomnia. before i found quviviq, an fda-approved insomnia medication for adults. you would not believe the things i used to think about when i couldn't sleep.

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traces. stephanie gosk now on the red tape that has agents struggling to keep up. >> reporter: the streets in louisville are under fire. during the height of the pandemic nearly two shootings every day. >> our focus is very singular, and that is to get illegal guns off the street. >> there are so many guns. >> reporter: erika shields and other police chiefs like her rely on the atf to trace guns used in crimes, but that's when she says federal law gets in the way. >> the agency is purposely being obstructed from operating at the level that they can. it's very frustrating. we're dealing with homicides. >> reporter: at the atf tracing facility in martinsburg, west virginia, we got a close look at the system that's slowing things down. the boxes that are lined up on this wall, on this wall, on that wall they're filled with documents that haven't been scanned yet, right? >> that's correct. >> reporter: gun records that have not been scan into your system. >> that's right. >> reporter: gun records from dealers that have gone out of

business. so many they spill outside into shipping containers. >> now we're up to 40, each one contains an additional 1,500 to 2,000 of records. >> reporter: guns have to be recorded but there's no law to digitize them. you've got people sifting through. it's like dropping into 1985 here. >> it can feel a little old school. >> reporter: but the atf isn't just drowning in paper records it must also follow a 1986 law written to scale back gun control in this country. >> what we're specifically prohibited from doing under the law is establishing any sort of database of the names of gun owners in the united states. >> reporter: in other words, there's no way to enter a serial number and search for the owner. >> i need to speak to someone who can help me with an urgent firearm trace. >> reporter: the atf can follow a gun from manufacturer to point of sale, but if the dealer is out of business -- and that's

nearly half of all traces -- atf workvers to scroll through records one by one without knowing when exactly the gun was bought. >> try the guns at a month time frame. if you cannot find it you should span it out for year. >> reporter: urgent gun traces after a mass shooting takes 24 hours but a routine trace can take up to two week. do you need more people? >> sure. >> reporter: do you need better computers? do you need more money? >> those are things that would improve the trace time. >> reporter: others say the decades old system needs to be thrown out. >> it's absurd, and unfortunately the rule today is designed to stop them from doing their jobs. >> it is outrageous and i blame the congress. >> reporter: senators leahy and gillibrand sponsored legislation to automate the process but the bill went nowhere. in a statement senator ted cruz said it would undermine the rights of law-abiding citizens by creating a national gun registry. the atf is simply following the law. this is document scanning just about as fast as it can go, and

they say they average 250,000 records scanned in a single day, but if they records today it would take more than a year to clear out the backlog. which is why chief shields is frustrated. >> you think this is appropriate to do to the atf, then don't tell me you're pro-law enforcement. you are standing there giving all of us who are on the front lines the middle finger. >> reporter: unless congress can agree a fix is needed, this is how tracing a gun will have to be done. stephanie gosk, nbc news, martinsburg, west virginia. and up next for us tonight a musical mission of hope and freedom inspiring americans. s commodity, especially when you have metastatic breast cancer. when your time is threatened, it's hard to invest in your future. until now. kisqali is helping women live longer than ever before when taken with an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant... in hr+, her2- metastatic breast cancer. kisqali is a pill that's proven to delay disease progression. kisqali can cause lung problems,

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they have they have not been silenced wii war. an orchestra of ukrainian musicians finishing their u.s. tour this weekend. here's andrea mitchell with tonight's "inspiring america." on this stage these artists aren't just making music, they're on a mission. >> i truly believe that we are defending our ukrainian culture here. >> reporter: in the shadow of war 74 performers have come together to form the ukrainian freedom orchestra. it's a mix of refugees from ukraine and those with ukrainian heritage. >> expressive human

emotions that no language can. >> reporter: led by the conductor carrie lynn wilson the group on tour bringing their music of their homeland to some of the biggest stages of the world. >> we're on a mission to fight on the culture side for ukraine and what better way to hold our instruments instead of our weapons? >> reporter: he is of fighting age but got special permission to leave ukraine to go on the summer tour with the orchestra. back home in kyiv his street has been pummelled by russian rockets. can art survive in the midst of war in. >> no choice. it has -- it must survive. >> reporter: this week the orchestra arrived in the u.s., lincoln center in new york city. as night fell the orchestra played their final piece. an arrangement of the ukrainian national anthem, hoping to send a message through their music, ukraine

won't be easily silenced. andrea mitchell, nbc news, new york. and that is "nightly news" for this friday. thank you for watching, everyone. i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night. good night. in order for small businesses to thrive, they need to be smart. efficient. agile. and that's never been more important than it is right now. so for a limited time, comcast business is introducing small business savings. call now to get powerful internet for just 39 dollars a month. with no contract. and a money back guarantee.

all on the largest, fastest reliable network. from the company that powers more businesses than anyone else. call and start saving today. comcast business. powering possibilities. right now at 4:30, processing a tragedy. new information in the deadly midair collision of two planes in santa cruz county as investigators give their first update since the deadly crash. the victim's family speaks out after an arrest and murder of a safeway employee in san jose. and a security threat is leaving millions of apple devices vulnerable to hackers. what you need to know about the new update to keep your information protected. the news at 4:30 starts right now. we're on early today because